Tyler Hicks

pg. 107 — Vladivostok
Major Russian city and one of the largest seaport and administrative centers for sea travel within Eastern Europe. The city was created in 1860 as a Russian military outpost; this city was promptly named Vladivostok in order to honor the political powers that ruled over Russia, as the name translates to "Conqueror of the East."

pg. 111 — Yugoslav Liberation Army
Also known as the Yugoslav Partisans, the Yugoslav Liberation Army was a Communist-led military pushback against the occupation of Yugoslavia during World War II. This regime had two main goals, which were to expel the occupants from Yugoslavia, as well as to retain Yugoslavia for the Eastern European Communist Party.

pg. 112 — Bavarian Alps
Phrase used to describe the wide variety of mountain ranges within the German state of Bavaria. 

pg. 116 — Turkish bath
Also known as a hammam, a turkish bath is a type of public steam bath. Similar to that of bathhouses of other European countries, a turkish bath is particularly a feature of Muslim culture, in which public bathing is a pivotal feature of society. 

pg. 117 — Othello
Tragedy by William Shakespeare in which Othello, a Moorish general, is betrayed by his fellow soldier, Iago. The play follows main themes of jealousy, the danger of isolation, and the disconnect between romantic love and a life steeped in militarism.

pg. 121 — the Aleutians
A chain of islands that span a massive distance (about 6,821 square miles). These islands are located from the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula all the way to Alaska itself. Although the majority of these islands belong to the United States government and its state of Alaska, some of these belong to the Russian government.

pg. 123 — the Volga
The longest river in Europe which flows from Central Russia to Southern Russia. It is about 3,500 kilometers long with an area of around 1,360,000 square kilometers. A symbol of Russian ideals, the Volga represents freedom and free will, the rural countryside, and the Russian spirit.

pg. 125 — mankurt
A Kyrgyz legend, a mankurt is a prisoner of war turned into a slave through constant exposure to the hot sun of the steppes with a camel skin wrapped around their head. As a result of these tight camel skins wrapped tightly around these prisoners' heads, their brains are damaged causing them to forget his own name, family, and tribe. This highly graphic and violent tale refers to a person who has fallen out of touch with their cultural heritage.